Furnace



(No Mod'el.) 3 Sheets- Sheet 1.

1?..H. RICHARDS.

FURNAGE.

Patented Deo. 12, 1893.

TMm/S5555.'

Mya@

(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 2.

P.' H. RIGHARDS-- FURNAGE.

No. 510,553. Patented Deo. 12, 1893.

MTI-155556,'

` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCISII. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ECKLEY B.COXE, OF DRIFTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

FU RNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 510,558, dated December12, 1893.

Application tiled September 1, 1893. Serial No. 484,560. (No model.)

To M Z whom it may concern.-

3e 1t known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hartford, 1n the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFurnaces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to traveling-grate furnaces; the object being toprovide a furnace In which the fuel -carrying plates or gratebars of thefurnace-floor shall be operable Independently of the traveling-movementof said Hoor, for the purpose of break- Ing up or agitating the fuelduring the com# bustlon of the same.

My present improvements are shown applied to a furnace of the generalclass descrIbed and claimed in the Letters Patent No. 499,716, grantedto Eckley B. CoXe, June 20, 1893, to which reference may be had forafuller description of those minor features of the furnace-mechanismwhich are herein only briefly described; and it is more particularly Inthe nature of an improvement on the invention described in the priorapplication of said Coxe for an improvement in furnaces, Serial No.447,264, filed July l2, 1893, to which application I have permission torefer.

In the drawing@ accompanying and forming apart of this specification,Figure 1 is a plan view, partially in section, of a furnace embody- Ingmy present improvements. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of thefurnace, which Is here shown supplied with fuel as when in operation.Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectIon, on the line a-a, Fig. 2,showing the parts at the right-handfof said line as seen from a point atthe left-hand thereof. Fig. 4 1s a plan view of one of the furnace-Hoorplates or grate-sections. Fig. 5 is a side view of said door-plate, asseen from below in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an end view of said Hoor-plate, asseen from the right-hand in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 7 is a plan 'View of oneof the gratebeams.

Similar characters designate like parts in all of the figures.

In the furnace shown in the drawings, the furnace-chamber C is inclosedby the usual side-walls 2 and 4, and is covered by a roof, A, which, inpractice, will be made of firebrick or other like material; at therearward end of the furnace is the usual bridge-Wall 7, and at theforward end thereof vthe ignitionblock B, over which the fuel isdelivered to the traveling furnace-door from a fuel-supply hopper, H,that is set at the forward end of the furnace.

The grate-mechanism of the furnace, together With the walls of thefurnace-chamber, is supported by means of a framework comprisingsuitable posts, as 5 and 5', held together by tie-rods or like devices,6, and constructed or furnished for carrying the several operativefeatures of the mechanism. Said framework may be such as shown in thedrawings, or of any other construction suitable for the describedpurposes.

' The traveling-grate or furnace-floor, designated in a general way byG, consists of a series of gratecarrying beams, N, supported upon a pairof endless chains, 50, which run upon the chain-Wheels 12 and 14, thatare carried by the shafts 13 andl15, respectively, whereby the endlessgrate is actuated. Asa means lfor operating the chain-wheel shafts, oneof these, 15, is shown provided with a Worm-wheel, 40, which meshes witha worm, 4l, on a driving-shaft, 42, that is carried by bearings 43,43',43, on the framework of the furnace structure. Said shaft 42 may beoperated" by any ordinary means, as, for instance, a pulley, 44, fixedthereon.

The f urnace-Iioer consists of a series of suitable fuel-carrying platesor grate-bars, which, as shown best in the detail views, Figs. 4, 5, and6, comprise (in the preferred form there- ,of herein shown) a ,series ofbars or fingers, 9,

which intermesh those of one door-plate with those of anotherfloor-plate, as will be understood by comparison of the several figuresof drawings, the arrangement described being shown best in Fig. 1. Thefloor-plate 18, is shown provided with a slide-plate or stem, 19,whereby itis supported on the beam N, by means of said stern fittinginthe slide-way or slot, 20, of the beam. At the ends of the beam fuelfrom running against the sides of the furnace-chamber. Then the severalgratebeams are located side by side and vertically along the upper run1O of the endless grate, said guard-walls 16 form a continuous wall theentire length of the furnace-floor, as will be understood by comparisonof Figs. 2 and 3.

As a means for supporting the upper and lower runs of the endless grate,the chains of the upper run are carried upon rollers, 51, which aresupported in the roller-beams, 52, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3; andthe lower run of the grate is supported by the described guard-walls ofthe beams running upon similar rollers, 5l, supported by thecorresponding roller-beams 52, said beams being fixed in some suitablemanner to the framework of the furnace structure. This feature of thefurnace-mechanism is described in the aforesaid application of Eckley B.Coxe, Serial No. 447,264, filed July 12, 1893.

The air-supply apparatus for the furnace may consist, as described inthe aforesaid Letters Patent No. 499,716, of a series of air-blastchambers, a, b, c, d and e, which may be su pplied with air through thecorresponding pipes, a', b', c', CZ and e', from a common supply-pipe,M, leading to some suitable air-blast apparatus, as, for instance, anair-blower or air-chamber, not herein shown. In practice, said pipes a',b', c', d', and e', will be furnished with means for independentlyregulating the air-pressure in the successive airchambers, after themanner described in said Letters Patent No. 499,716, and according tothe process described and claimed in Letters Patent No. 499,715,grantedto Eckley B. Coxe, June 20, 1393.

The floor-plates 1S are fitted to be lifted and lowered vertically ofthe furnace-floor, by means of their stems 19 being fitted to slidevertically in the aforesaid slots 2O ofthe gratebeams N. Said slidingmovement is limited by a pin, 21, inserted through said beam andengaging in the notch or slot, 19', in the edge of said floor-platestem. By this means, also, when the grate-beams pass around the wheel 14to the under run of the endless grate, said ioonplates are preventedfrom dropping out of the beams, being held therein by said pin, asindicated in Fig. 2. The grate-beams, N, as shown in Fig. 3, are notchedon the under side thereof about midway of the width of theslide-mortises 20, and said 'notches are covered by said slides whenthese are lowered to their normal position, at which time the lower endsof the stems or slides 19 coincide substantially with the lower line ofsaid gratebeams. This arrangementis for the purpose of substantiallyclosing the air-space between the lower edge of the grate-beams and thedivision-plates 32 between the aforesaid airsupply chambers, d, b, c, dand e.

According to mypresentimprovements,suit able lifting-bars, as, forinstance, the horizontal bars 23 and 23', are located Linder that partof the furnace-floor where the combustion causes the fuel to mostrapidly become matted or condensed so as to clog the passage of airthrough the same. In Figs. 2 and 3, the lifting-bars 23 are shownlowered, and the alternate lifting-bars 23 are shown lifted, whereby thealternate floor-plates in the gratebeam are lifted, as indicated in Fig.3, for the purpose of breaking up and agitating the fuel upon that partof the furnace-Hoor. For the purpose of actuating the lifting-bars,these are provided with one or more stems, 68, 68', which extenddownwardly through suitable bearings (in this case, formed in the d1-vision-walls of the aforesaid air-blast chambers) and terminate adjacentto the camshafts 62, 62', which are supported in suitable bearings inthe frame-work of the furnace and are provided with lifting-cams, 60 and60', for operating said stems and liftingbars. The lifting-cams 60 and60 are shown set alternately in crosswise positions (see Fig. 2) so asto alternately lift and lower the alternate floor-plates, as indicatedin Fig. 3. For driving the cam-shafts 62 and 62', these are shownfurnished at one end with the gears 59, 59', which mesh with adriving-gear, 56, adjacent to a worm-Wheel, 54, meshing with a worm, 53,on the aforesaid driving-shaft 42. Some suitable clutch device, as 58,is provided for coupling and uncoupling said wormwheel with theintermediate gear 56 for the purpose of starting and stopping saidcamshafts; for this purpose said clutch is to be furnished with anordinary clutch-actuating lever (not shown) whereby the same may bethrown into mesh or out of mesh, in a wellknown manner.

The operation of the furnace will be readily understood by means of theprecedingdescription read in connection with the drawings and withreference to the aforesaid Letters Patent. The fuel, being fed to thefurnace as described, is ignited adjacent to the ignition-block B whilesubjected to a moderate air-blast from the chamber a. Passing rearwardlyin the furnace, it is afterward subjected to air-blasts, first ofincreased pressure from the chambers b and c, and later to airblasts ofsuccessively decreased pressures from the chambers d and e, according tothe aforesaid process. When using fuel of a bituminous orsemi-bituminous character, and when this is brought to an intensecombustion, as usually done, for instance, over the chambers Z) and c,the heat tends to mat or compact the fuel into a mass, so as to preventthe passage of air through the same and thus check the combustion andgreatly reduce the capacity of thefurnace. For overcoming this result,the attendant operates the liftingbars to alternately lift and lower thealternate floor-plates and thereby break up the mass of fuel. The resultof this operation is substantially the same as obtained in ordinaryfixed grates by means of the so-called IOO IIO

slicing-bars used by the firemen for breaking up the coked fuel upon thegrate during the middle and later stages of combustion.

My present improvements are not only adapted for use in connection withthe series of air-chambers described, but may be used in traveling-gratefurnaces not supplied with that feature.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In afurnace, thecombination with a traveling grate having operable floor-plates, ofplate-operating bars underneath the grate, and means for actuating saidbars, substantially as described. y

2. In a furnace, the combination with a traveling grate comprisingcarrying-chains and transverse beams having slide-Ways therein, of aseries of licor-plates having stems fitting in slide-Ways, andelevating-mechanism under the grate-beams in position for actuating saidfloor-plates during the traveling movement thereof, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a furnace, the combination with a traveling grate comprisingcarrying-chains, gratebeams, and liftable door-plates carried by saidbeams, and with means for actuating the endless grate, of lifting-barsin position underneath the grate, and cams for operating said bars,substantially as described.

4E. In a furnace, the combination of a series of adjacentvertically-operable furnace-door plates, means for carrying said platesalong the furnace, and lifters located under the furnace-floor foroperating said floor-plates, substantially as described.

5. In a furnace, the combination with a traveling grate having operablefloor-plates substantially as described, means for supplying fuel to thegrate, a series of air-blast apparatuses under the grate, andfurnace-oor-plate actuating devices in position for operating thefloor-plates during the traveling-movement thereof over said air-blastapparatuses, substantially as described.

6. In a furnace, the combination with a traveling grate havingindependently -operable Hoor-plates, of bars under the path of thetraveling-movement of 'said plates, cams for actuating said bars, andmeans for operating the cams, substantially as described.

7. In a furnace, the combination with a traveling grate substantially asdescribed having independently-operable grate-bars or floorplates, ofgrate-bar-aotuating devices located underneath the traveling grate, anddrivingmechanism, substantially as described, for simultaneouslyoperating the grate and said devices, substantially as set forth.

8. In a furnace, the combination, in a traveling grate therefor, ofcarrying-chains, transverse beams, and independent door-platesoperatively supported in said beams and having projecting grate-bars orlingers interrneshing those on one beam with those on the adjacent beam,substantially as described.

9. In a furnace, the improved traveling grate herein described,comprising carryingchains, means for actuating said chains, andtransverse grate-beams carried by the chains,

Ycombined With furnace-floor plates operatively supported on said beamsand intermeshing those of one beam with those of the other beam,substantially as described.

10. In a furnace, in combination, a traveling gratecomprising'fuel-supporting plates movably-supported therein, meansforimparting a traveling movement to the grate, and

means for independently operating the fuel- Y supporting plates.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS. Witnesses:

FRED. J. DOLE, EMMA G. FOWLER.

